Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Worth returning M1 8gig for 16gig

frocco

frocco

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jan 27, 2009
498
43
Hello,
I have until the 8th to return my MacBook Pro M1 8gig.
I feel I would be safer having the 16gig.

It's going to be a hazzle, as I had a previous trade and have to wait for the difference on a gift card before I can purchase the new M1.

Has anyone upgraded to the 16gig?
Is it worth the extra 200.00?

Thanks
 
How do you intend on using the machine and for how long?

Do you feel 8gb has capped you thus far, does your workload look like its going to change?
 
I took 16GB, there is no downside other than the additional cost to having an extra 8GB of ram. If ARM on Mac develops as expected then there will be a need for more ram as new apps, better apps and so on will demand it. Plus, if you keep it for a couple of years at least, it will be easier to sell on.

Having said that, unless you really know there is going to be an issue with 8GB based on what you do, is there really a need to worry about it? I would say stick with what you have unless;

a) You know you need more than 8GB because of x reason.
b) You intend to keep the device for at least say 5 years when the resale value will benefit from having 16GB.
 
LeeW said:
a) You know you need more than 8GB because of x reason.
b) You intend to keep the device for at least say 5 years when the resale value will benefit from having 16GB.
Click to expand...

A- makes sense

B- not so sure. Without being held back by Intel stagnancy, Who knows what Mac laptops will look like in five years, in terms of power and efficiency. Could get Sci Fi.

in a year or two, agree. but 5 years? Eh, it'll be a wash in resell imo

especially on the MBA and base level MBP's.
 
It depends on your usage. Unless you are continually editing 4k video etc. and you are seeing memory pressure spikes, there probably isn't any real reason to make a return and spend more money on RAM you don't need.

Don't fall into the MR trap of overspending on RAM you may not need, just because others are in the habit of overspending just because.
 
  • Like
Reactions: tonyr6 and nburwell
thadoggfather said:
in a year or two, agree. but 5 years? Eh, it'll be a wash in resell imo
Click to expand...

Probably, but in 5 years, interested purchasers will still be more interested in a 16GB version than an 8GB in my view of course. I can't see RAM requirements doing anything but increasing in that time period.

Appreciate everyone is blinded by the M1 8GB performance despite the fact a lot of the screenshots I see being posted are of machines that are OOM and have a swap file as high as the RAM itself.

Apple_Robert said:
Don't fall into the MR trap of overspending on RAM you may not need
Click to expand...

True, but also don't fall into the trap of underspending when there is no upgrade path and the only way out of the mistake is having to sell the unit and purchase again.
 
LeeW said:
Probably, but in 5 years, interested purchasers will still be more interested in a 16GB version than an 8GB in my view of course. I can't see RAM requirements doing anything but increasing in that time period.

Appreciate everyone is blinded by the M1 8GB performance despite the fact a lot of the screenshots I see being posted are of machines that are OOM and have a swap file as high as the RAM itself.
Click to expand...

everyone is blinded is a sweeping generalization. depends on use case.

if you're running tons of VM's, with a million tabs open, yeah get the 16gb.
 
LeeW said:
Probably, but in 5 years, interested purchasers will still be more interested in a 16GB version than an 8GB in my view of course. I can't see RAM requirements doing anything but increasing in that time period.

Appreciate everyone is blinded by the M1 8GB performance despite the fact a lot of the screenshots I see being posted are of machines that are OOM and have a swap file as high as the RAM itself.



True, but also don't fall into the trap of underspending when there is no upgrade path and the only way out of the mistake is having to sell the unit and purchase again.
Click to expand...
You are right. One can underspend as well.

The OP didn't state he has been experiencing memory pressure spikes. I have a feeling he has been reading a lot of MR and it got him to worrying.
 
  • Like
Reactions: G5isAlive
If its not a big deal to you financially then yes, I would do it. In my opinion 8GB is fine for every day use but why not get more if you can afford it just in case? I think 16GB should be the bare minimum offered but if 8GB is working ok for you then I would maybe not do it.
 
Thanks for the replies. I do some web development, but recently lost my job due to covid.
/I don't know how to view the swap file, so far I have not had any issues. MacBook Pro runs faster than mt last MacBook Air (intel)

I guess its more of an anxiety issue. :)

rather spend the 200.00 now and not have to worry about selling later if I run into issues.

Apple says because of my trade in, I would have to return computer and wait for a gift card so I can apply it to new purchase. I can mail it back or drive to Apple Store to return it, about an hours drive one way. Then wait for gift card.

Bummer, but only option for me, unless I keep it.

Never had any issues with my last MacBook Air.
 
I tested one out with one program I run. It uses 8 GB for programs and almost 8 GB cached files. I didn't buy it for that program though I like the idea of being able to run it. The laptop is not for me but I would buy 16 anyways for peace of mind.
 
Apple_Robert said:
Don't fall into the MR trap of overspending on RAM you may not need, just because others are in the habit of overspending just because.
Click to expand...

This says it all.

You KNOW if you need 16GB. If your Mac was struggling during the time you had it, go for it. If not, you don't need it. And if you ask here, you are going to get a resounding YES to the upgrade, because like our above poster has already said, people on MR just love to spend your money unnecessarily. Mostly because they spend it unnecessarily and want you to also feel bad about it :)

Any "should I upgrade" posts on here is pure bait for the MR population, and they will eat you alive. And unfortunately, I speak from experience.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Never mind
I currently have SSD 512, in order not to wait, I would need to get 1TB
As some pointed out, my current Mac is not showing any issues with the 8gig, it is fast and have no other hardware issues.
 
shenfrey said:
This says it all.

You KNOW if you need 16GB. If your Mac was struggling during the time you had it, go for it. If not, you don't need it. And if you ask here, you are going to get a resounding YES to the upgrade, because like our above poster has already said, people on MR just love to spend your money unnecessarily. Mostly because they spend it unnecessarily and want you to also feel bad about it :)

Any "should I upgrade" posts on here is pure bait for the MR population, and they will eat you alive. And unfortunately, I speak from experience.
Click to expand...

Nah I disagree with you here on this one. Iits not like its going from 16GB to 32GB, which is almost always overkill for most people. 16GB should really be the standard and its not at all unreasonable for people to have that just as a precaution against possibly needing it. Yeah I agree with you when people start talking about 32 and 64GB of RAM, but 16GB really isn't something that's a crazy amount in any way. If the OP was saying "Hey, I have 8GB and am thinking of getting 32GB of RAM" then I'd totally agree but not 8 to 16.
 
  • Like
Reactions: frocco
LongWayHome said:
Nah I disagree with you here on this one. Iits not like its going from 16GB to 32GB, which is almost always overkill for most people. 16GB should really be the standard and its not at all unreasonable for people to have that just as a precaution against possibly needing it. Yeah I agree with you when people start talking about 32 and 64GB of RAM, but 16GB really isn't something that's a crazy amount in any way. If the OP was saying "Hey, I have 8GB and am thinking of getting 32GB of RAM" then I'd totally agree
Click to expand...

How do you feel about 128 GB of RAM?

LongWayHome said:
but not 8 to 16.
Click to expand...
screenshot-Thursday-01-07-2021-10-26-01.jpg
 
pshufd said:
How do you feel about 128 GB of RAM?


View attachment 1708382
Click to expand...

Like I said, there are going to be people who need that. And suggesting someone go from 8 to 16 is in no way overkill. It SHOULD come standard with 16 just like the 16". Just becuase someone might need the portability of the 13" doesn't mean they don't need the additional RAM.

I do think there are a lot of people that go overboard on RAM, which I'm totally fine with. Its their money and they can spend it however they like.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Never mind
LongWayHome said:
Like I said, there are going to be people who need that. And suggesting someone go from 8 to 16 is in no way overkill. It SHOULD come standard with 16 just like the 16". Just becuase someone might need the portability of the 13" doesn't mean they don't need the additional RAM.

I do think there are a lot of people that go overboard on RAM, which I'm totally fine with. Its their money and they can spend it however they like.
Click to expand...

Extra RAM means peace of mind.

It's nice when hardware and software are robust.

One of the big areas of variance is browser usage as many web pages are so big today. We don't know whether or not websites will continue to increase RAM usage. One of my Firefox instances is using 2.8 GB for 8 tabs. My Brave instance is using 708 MB. Firefox has 8 tabs open while Brave has one tab open. I actually have another 18 tabs open but they are on different machines. But 400 MB per tab isn't unreasonable today. Some people have 30 or 40 tabs open so you will wind up with page/swap. What if web pages double in the next year?

I played around with a 16/1 Air that is my daughter's now. It's nice for some casual stuff. One of the programs that I run apparently kills it. I can get to 16 GB of RAM used with that one program. So I'd buy an high-spec iMac 27 if I needed something right now as it has user-installable RAM, supports at least 3x4k and up to 4x4k, and allows me to run Windows Intel programs with good performance.

I will just wait for the M1X with more RAM options down the road. It may be a 14 inch MacBook Pro or a 16-inch MacBook Pro and/or an iMac or a Mac Pro. The current stuff is too low-end for me now outside of casual use. But I can just use my 2015 MacBook Pro for the next year. It's not as nice but it works.
 
  • Like
Reactions: frocco
shenfrey said:
Same. I’m hanging in for the 16”
Click to expand...

I used the Air for about 20 minutes on Wednesday and I love how thin and light it is but would like a bigger screen. It could be 14, 16 or 17 if it's really light. I've played around with the LG Gram 17 and I love how thin and light it is with a big screen. The processor is on the weak side though. Apple could build a lot of interesting systems with the best of all worlds.
 
pshufd said:
I used the Air for about 20 minutes on Wednesday and I love how thin and light it is but would like a bigger screen. It could be 14, 16 or 17 if it's really light. I've played around with the LG Gram 17 and I love how thin and light it is with a big screen. The processor is on the weak side though. Apple could build a lot of interesting systems with the best of all worlds.
Click to expand...

That’s the problem with people. We always want moar. Bigger, better. Never settled.

If Apple introduced a 32” laptop, you would lap it up. 1TB ram in our laptops? Yes! Because 512GB ram isn’t enough and you should definitely upgrade.
 
shenfrey said:
That’s the problem with people. We always want moar. Bigger, better. Never settled.

If Apple introduced a 32” laptop, you would lap it up. 1TB ram in our laptops? Yes! Because 512GB ram isn’t enough and you should definitely upgrade.
Click to expand...

I'd buy a 32 inch iMac as I'd put it to use to make money.

I've used systems with over 1 TB of RAM. It's amazing how fast you can use up resources these days.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back